At Redeemer Community Church we’ve identified seven practices of a disciple of Jesus that we hope to be true of each one of us in increasing measure. These are not practices we pursue for God’s love (we cannot earn nor deserve the love of God), but rather from God’s love poured out on us through the gospel of Jesus.

The first, Seek God. Second, Love Others. Third, Pursue Holiness. Fourth, Serve the Church. Fifth, Steward Your Resources. Now, Share the Gospel.

As He called some of His disciples Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mt 4:19) After His resurrection Jesus said at the end of Matthew, “Go therefore and make disciples…” (28:19); at the end of Luke, “repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations.” (24:47); at the end of John, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (20:21); and at the beginning of Acts, “… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…” (1:8) It’s clear: followers fish.

• Live with Gospel intentionality in your various circles of influence to help others see, hear, and respond to the Gospel. The spheres of influence might include where you live (your neighbors), where you work (your coworkers and clients), and and where you play (your friends at the gym, the bookclub, etc.). Are there people far from God in each of these spheres of influence? 
• A good way to think about Gospel intentionality is living to B.L.E.S.S. others. Having identified the people far from God in your spheres of influence, (1) Begin with prayer: this is always the best place to start, (2) Listen: ask good questions and listen well, (3) Eat: practice hospitality on a regular basis—have them in your home or enjoy a good meal at a great restaurant, (4) Serve: find ways to meet the needs of these friends, and (5) Story: share your story and THE STORY of God’s love through Jesus! Learn more about this strategy HERE.
• Learn a simple yet solid way to communicate God’s love in the Gospel. Sonlife has a great blogpost that briefly exposes readers to a number of ways to share the Gospel like The Wordless Book by Child Evangelism Fellowship, the Romans Road, the Four Spiritual Laws, One Verse Evangelism, and more.
• Just as you seek to help those in your spheres of influence know about Jesus, help others around the world see, hear, and respond to the Gospel by becoming more and more involved in world evangelism. OMF International and the Perspectives Study Program encourage six ways people like you and me can get involved: (1) Learn about missions, (2) Pray for missions, (3) Go on a mission trip, (4) Send others who go, (5) Welcome internationals in your city, and (6) Mobilize others for mission. You can learn more about each of these HERE.

In his commentary on the book of Jonah, Man Overboard!, Sinclair Ferguson wrote, “He [Jonah] also learned that the pulse-beat of God’s heart has an evangelistic rhythm.” What’s the pulse-beat of your heart?

At Redeemer Community Church we’ve identified seven practices of a disciple of Jesus that we hope to be true of each one of us in increasing measure. These are not practices we pursue for God’s love (we cannot earn nor deserve the love of God), but rather from God’s love poured out on us through the gospel of Jesus.

The first, Seek God. Second, Love Others. Third, Pursue Holiness. Fourth, Serve the Church. Now, Steward Your Resources.

Remember the apostles who let Jesus use their boat (Lk 5:1-4), the young boy who handed over his loaves and fish (Mt 14:17-19), Aquila and Priscilla who kept opening their homes for the sake of the Gospel (Rm 16:3-5; 1 Co 16:19), or the impoverished Macedonians who gave so generously to the Lord’s work? (2 Co 8:1-5) These were men and women, young and old, stewarding their resources (time, talents, and treasure) for Christ and His kingdom.

• Find a church home you believe in, belong to, and benefit from—then generously pour your time, talents, and treasure in for the glory of Christ, the strength of the church family, and its mission in the world. Your time: How will you spend it? Your talents: How will you use them? Your treasure: How will you invest it?
• Your time: Devote regular time to your church’s worship gatherings, discipleship groups, service teams, and mission work. Your participation in each is a blessing to others.
• Your talents: Join a service team at your church. You have unique abilities and passions that God can use for His glory and the spiritual good of others. And, you’ll experience soul-satisfying joy as you follow Jesus’ path. (Mk 10:42-45) See this blog post.
• Your treasure: Make your financial support of God’s work at your church home (1) a priority: make it the first check you write each month, (2) based off a percentage: 10% is a place that many start, but start somewhere, even if it’s just 1, 2, or 3%, (3) progressive: as your faith grows and/or your financial situation improves, increase your giving percentage to the Lord’s work, and (4) sometimes prompted: willingly consider spontaneous giving for unique opportunities that arise. (Thanks to Andy Stanley for these 4 P’s.)
• Beyond your church home there are many great Gospel-loving causes in your city and around the world. Ask God how He might want you to steward your resources for the sake of His good work in and through these great works.
• Remember, biblical stewardship is not about what your church can get FROM you, but rather what God offers FOR you. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) Paul said the generous “store up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future.” (1 Tm 6:19)

“A life of simplicity, with a governor on your spending and a passion to advance the kingdom through giving, will be a far happier life than a life of luxury.”  John Piper

After becoming a #CHIPSTARTER winner, it was on! No longer could I simply talk about climbing a mountain, I actually had to find a guide and secure a climb. Because June, July, and August are the best months to climb Mt. Rainier, and because climbers secure their slots well in advance, almost all of the climbing spots were taken for those three months—in particular, all of the spots up the traditional route for novices, the Ingraham Glacier/Disappointment Cleaver Summit Climb. I could find a spot here  and there for almost any time, but I was looking for four-five spots because my plan was to form a team of friends to climb with me.

What to do? No spots remained for my team up the traditional novice route. After visiting more with the guide company that I’d chosen, International Mountain Guides, four spots were available on their Mt. Rainier Emmons Route Summit Climb. The guide explained this is a novice climb, as well; but, it is more demanding than the traditional route—you carry a heavier load, and the route is longer. Four spots were available. I took it.

The 4½ Day Emmons glacier climb is another excellent basic mountaineering training program. It is perfect for anyone desiring a less-rushed summit experience in a more remote alpine environment, away from the greater crowds found on the south side of the mountain. The focus of this small group climb is on glacier skills training, self-sufficiency and teamwork. This climb is physically more demanding than the Disappointment Cleaver route due to the heavier loads carried and longer distance traveled.

Friends Ricky Chapman, Ryan Bakke, Jon Guthrie, and I are scheduled to climb June 18-22, 2018. That leaves us five and a half months to train. Now, these three guys are something else—I’ll be blogging about them in coming weeks.

Until then, if you’d like to learn more about our route up Mt. Rainer, take a look HERE. Don’t forget to check out their PHOTOS.

All for now,